Frank rhind



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK RHIND, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRIDGE- IORT BRASS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LATCH FOR BICYCLE-LANTERNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,949, dated May 12, 1896.

Application filed August 7, 1895.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK RHIND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fail-field and $tate of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latches for Bicycle-Lan terns; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others IO skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to produce a latch which shall be especially adapted to lock the reservoir and burner of a bicycle- I 5 lantern to the body, the special objects in view being to provide a latch of this character which will secure the two parts together with a positive connection, will be simple and inexpensive to produce, and which, while convenient to operate, will be so completely protected as to make it practically impossible for the two parts to become accidentally disconnected.

With these ends in viewI have devised the novel construction of which the following de- 2 5 scription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, letters and numbers being used to designate the several parts.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle-lan- 0 tern, illustrating the application thereto of my novel latch; Fig. 2, a section on the line so a; in Fig. 1, looking down; and Fig. 3 is a section on an enlarged scale 011 the line y y in Fig. 2.

1 denotes the body of a bicycle-lantern; 2, the front reflector or lens-cone; 3, the reservoir; 4, the open connection between the burner-base and the reservoir, said connection being rigidly secured to the reservoir; 5, the burner-base, and 6 the wick-tube. These parts maybe of the ordinary or any preferred construction, although I have illustrated my invention as applied to the well known search-light lantern.

A denotes my novel latch, which consists of a strip of metal having at one end a fingerpiece 7, which lies on the outside for conveniencc in operation, and at the other end an inwardly'turned end 8. This latch is shown 5 o as socketed in the opposite sides of connection 4, the finger-piece 7 being placed under the Serial No. 558,529. (No model.)

front reflector, so as to be wholly out of the way, and the inwardly-turned end extending upward and inward above the connection, so

as to engage the body, as will be more fully explained. The burner base is provided on one side with on outwardly-projecting lug 9, which is adapted to engage an opening 10 in the front of the body, and in its opposite side with an opening 13, which is adapted to be engaged by the inwardly-turned end 8 of the latch.

11 denotes an opening in the side of the body opposite to opening 10 and registering with opening 13 in the burner-base, through which the inwardly-turned end of the latch passes before entering opening 13.

I have shown a simple form of latch, which is adapted to be used with my inclined wicktube. It is obvious, however, that if any other style of wick-tube was used it would be wholly within the scope of my invention to make such alterations in the shape of the latch as might be required by the shape and location of the wick-tube, the latch in the present instance extending across between the opposite sides of the connection and the inclined wick-tube overhanging the latch. The latch is retained at its locking position by means of a spring 12. In the present instance I have shown a coil-spring, one end of which is attached to the connection, the other to the latch.

The operation is as follows: The operator presses the latch inward against the power of 8 5 the spring from the position shown in full lines to the position shown in dotted lines. Opening 10 in the body is then engaged with lug 9, the opposite side of the body lowered to place, and the latch released. The spring will then cause the inwardly-turned end 8 of the latch to pass through opening 11 in the body and to enter the corresponding opening 13 in the burner-base.

Having thus described my invention, I 5 claim- 1. In a bicycle-lantern the combination with a burner-base having a lug 9 and an opening 13, of a body having an opening 10 to receive said lug and an opening 11 which registers with opening 13 and a spring-actuated latch extending across the base and having sliding bearings therein and provided with an inwardly-turned end S which is adapted to pass through opening 11 in the body and engage the opening in the burner-base whereby said parts are locked together the other end of the latch having a finger-piece outside the base.

2. In a bicycle-lantern the combination with a reservoir, a connection at and a burner-base, said burner-base being provided with a lug 9 and an opening 13, of a body having an opening 10 to receive said lug and an opening 11 which registers with opening 13, and a single sliding spring-actuated latch extending diametrically across and sooketed in the connection and provided at one end with an outside finger-piece and at the other end with an upwardly and inwardly turned end adapted to pass through opening 11 in the body and engage opening 13 in the burner-base as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK RHIND. lVitnesses:

A. M. WoosTER, S. V. RICHARDSON. 

